Crank



May 27, 1924. 1,495,940

E. WELSH CRANK Filed Mann e, 1922 2 sheets-sheer 1 mvg fr? INVENTOEWITNESS: v ATToRN-:Y

E. WELSH May 27 1924.

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' Filed March 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v AllllI-IIHIN-@ MSVENTORPatented May 27, 1924.

4UNITED STATES PATENT oFF'lcs.

EDWARD WELSH, OF BUCKEYE CITY, OHIO."` y

CRANE.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD WELSH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buckeye City, in the county of Knox and State of Ohio, haveinventedfnew and useful Improvements in Cranks, .of which the follow-`ing is a specification. i

This invention contemplatesthe provision of means for rotating orstarting an automobile engine or thelike, through the instrumentality ofa handle which is associated with an engine shaft by a mechanism whichpermits the handle to be turned in one direction as for the purposestated, but which prohibits turning of the handle in a reversedirection, thereby obviating injury to the user incident to the reverserotation of the crank shaft, whichv is frequently caused by back firingof the engine.

The nature and the advantages of the in-k vention will ,be betterunderstood when the following detailed description is readl inyconnection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing'inAthe construction, combination'and arrangements of parts as claimed. Inthe `drawings forming part of this application, like numerals ofreference indig cate similar parts in the `several views and wherein: v

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device forming the subject matterof my invention. 1 Y

Figure 2 `is a sectional' view taken at a right angle to Figure l1 andshowing the device ascoupled with an engine shaft.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 partly in section.'

Figure 4 is a detail view of the ratchet disk. i

Figure 5 is a similar view of the rotatable sleeve. y

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the sleeve and driving shaft.

Figure` 7is a sectional view taken on the line 7 7 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the stationary plate.

Referring to the drawings detail, the l Application filed March 6, 1922Serial No. 541,624.

device forming thesubject matten-of"thist inventionl essentiallyembodies anelongated plate indicated at l() which vfis adapted tol.

be secured in any suitable manner upon the forward end of a motorvehiclenot;shown,

and in juxtaposition to the crankshaft 11 of the motor for said'vehiclexThe plate` 10k 1s providedwith an enlarged central openy ing 12for a purpose to behereinafter described and arranged over thisopeninglis,

a relatively small plate 13 which is suit-- ably secured to theplaterlO.The plate k13 isalso vprovided .with a smallcentral opening- 14 .whichreceives the spring `pressed shaft 1,5 as shown. Arranged kupon one sideof theplate 10 is a disk y16 which is lassociated with saidA plateforrotation, and this diskis also provided with an enlargedcentralopening 17, the diameter vof whichis..

equal to that of the opening 12 of the said` plate 10, and whichopenings coincidetas illustrated. Thedisk 16 is also` provided withperipheral ratchet teeth 18l with which the pawls 19 Figure 3 cooperateto prevent retrograde. movement of the `disk as will bef i readilyunderstood. These pawlsg19 ,are` ar-f ranged at diametrically oppositepoints, andy l operate between the end portions. of thel plate 10 andthe relativelysmall plates 2O which are secured to the end portions ofthe plate 10 by fastening means y21. Inyad dition yto the opening 17`.the disk 16 isv also f provided with an opening 22 .which com-Inunicates` with the opening 17 for a purpose yto be presentlydescribed. 4 t

Arranged-in face to face contact with the disk .167 is a second diskindicated at 24 and these disks are secured together to rotate inunison, by means of, fastening bolts date a sleeve 27', and one end ofthis sleeve supports asmall ratchet wheel 28 ofithesize to operateywithin the openings 12 and 17.,.of the plate 1() and disk 16vrespectively. Plv.-

tality oted upon one side of the disk 24 is a pawl 29 which operates inthe opening 22 of the disk 16, cooperating with the small ratchet wheel28 to impart rotation to the sleeve 27 incident to the cranking orrotation of the crank shaft in the proper direction to start the engine.It isjI to be understood that this is accomplished through theinstrumenofa handle 30 which is secured to Jthe disk 24. The shaft 15above referred to slides through the sleeve 27, the. latter beingslotted as at 31 to accommodate a cross pin 32 projecting from theopposed sides of the shaft and therefore the rotation of the sleeve isimparted to the shaft 15./ One end of the shaft 15 is designed forinterlocking association with the adjacent end of the crank shaft 11 inthe usualV wel-lknown manner, while surrounding' the shaft 15r andinterposed between the adjacent end of thesleeve 27 and a cap 34supported by the adjacent end of the shaft 15, is a coiled spring 35which functions to automatically separate thev shaft 15 from the crankshaft of:- the engine as the latter increases its speedv subsequent tothe' starting of the enL gine as in the ordinary well-known mannei.

lIn practice when it is desired to crank the engine, the shaft 15 ispushed inwardly against the tension of the said springs for interlockingassociation with the adjacent end of thecrank shaft as mentioned. Whenciated with the crank shaft as will be readily understood. The handle isthen subsequent-1 ly turned in the same direction for the purpose ofrotating the crank handle 11, it being above; pointed out that as thedisks 16 and ,24 are thus turned, rotary motion is iniy parted to thesleeve 27 thru the pawl and be noted however that the disks 16 and 24ratchet 29 and 28 respectively. The shaft this also rotated andconsequently the engine started in the usual manner. It willrespectively cannotbe rotated in a reverse. direction because ofthepawls 19 engagingthe' ratchet teeth of the disk 16, and therefore 'inevent of any reverse rotation ofthe crank shaft, incident to back iiringof the eiyi'gine,` the handle SO'remains stationary and cannot possiblyinjure the user. During this reverse rotation of the crank shaft underthe conditions mentioned, the sleeve '27 and shaft 15 rotate in asimilar direction, the

i ratchet ywheel 28' idling past lthe pawl 29 asjfthe second disk isprovided with elongated openingsr for receiving bolts 25 of the disk 16,therebyv any retrograde movement will shift the disk 24 and move thepawl 29 out;

of'fengagjement, with the ratchet 28, by engagement of the pawl 29against the projec tion 28andthus allow' the ratchet to revolve with:thespring'pressed shaft 15.! The con# struction and arrangement of theparts is such, that the engine can be easily and conveniently cranked,without any possibility of injury to the operator incident to the backfiring of the engine. 5

Vhile it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature andadvantages of the invention will be readily understood, I desire to haveit known that I do not limit myself to what is herein sho-wn anddescribed, andA that such changes may be resorted to when desired asfall within the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A cranking device for enginesicompris ing a stationary member, a pairof disks ar ranged in face to face contact andy mounted on said memberfor rotation in unison, means for rotating said disks in' Vonedirection, means, for preventing. theV rotation of' said disks inopposite direction, a shaft slidable through said disks fory associationwith the` engine shaft, and means for rotatingjthe first named shaft bysaid disks, and for permitting reverse rotation of the shaftindependently of said disks for the purposespecified. i' s 2'.v Acranking device forenginesl comprising a stationary member, a pair ofdisks 'arranged in face to face contact and mounted on said member forrotation unison, ratchet teeth formed on oneof said disks,

means for turning said disks in 'one direc` tion, pawls carried by thestationary 1nem'` ber and cooperating with'said ratchet teeth to preventrotation of said disks inopposite direction, ashaft slidfablethroughsaid disks for association with the engine shaft and means forrotating the first mentioned 'shaft b v said disks and allowingreversevrotation ofy said shaft independently of said disks for thepurpose specified. f

V3. A. crankingdevice for engines comprising a stationary member,v apair of `disks arranged in face to face contact and mounted on saidmember for rotation in'unisofn, means for rotating said, disks in onedirection, means for` preventingv rotation of thedisks in oppositedirection, a sleeve passed through one of said disks, means ,forrotating the sleeve by said disks, a shaft sli'd' able through saidsleeve for association with the engine shaft, means connecting the firstmentioned shaft with the sleeve for l'rotation therewith, and saidsleeve and shaft'bei'ng adapted to rotate in opposite directionindependently of said disks for the purpose specified.

4. A cranking device for'enginescomprising a stationary member, a pairof disks arranged in face to face contact andm'ounted on said member forrotation in unison, means for turning said disks in yone direction,means for preventing rotationl'of the disks in an opposite direction,asleeve passed through one of said disks, a ratchet Wheel carried by oneend of the sleeve, a paWl carried by said disks and cooperating withsaid ratchet Wheel for rotating the sleeve incident to the rotation ofsaid disks, a shaft slidable through said sleeve vfor the associationwith the other shaft, means connecting said shaft with the sleeve forrotation therewith and said paWl and ratchet allowing said sleeve andshaft to rotate in a reverse direction independently of said disks forthe purpose specified. 1

In testimony ,whereof I affix my signature."

EDWARD WELSH.

